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Title: Unapologetically Feminine

Artist: Ava Capriglione

Every woman’s body is perfect in their own way. Society has always created stereotypes, norms, or standards for almost everything on the planet. We live in a world full of comparison and judgment. There are a lot of individuals that suffer from an eating disorder and we have no idea it is going on. I created this piece of abstract art last night to represent the beauty of woman. We should never be ashamed of our figure. Green is also my favorite color; so I thought it was a nice touch.

*The only canvas I had at home had a tear or two in it. I hope it does not take away from the meaning of my painting.

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Virtual Sketchbook 4

Jackson Pollock was a pronounced combination of a robust, country man with unique and abstract artistic ideas. His famous drip paintings went with the motive of not illustrating but expressing. Several viewers of his famous abstract pieces label his work as chaotic or lacking any sense of artistic manner. Pollock was said to use sand, nails, glass, string, or any other naturalistic objects. In actuality Pollock's abstract "drip" paintings are incredibly comprehensive, intricate, and almost create a sense of power. Jackson Pollock removed all imagery from his work through thoughtless and impulsive strokes of paint at different speeds, with different objects, and each drop of paint with absolutely no plan of action. The admiration stands where all these components come together to create a euphoric and united piece of art. Pollock was confident and not afraid to approach art with a completely different perspective. His style was simple and messy; yet formal and integrated. Although individuals judged his work, he found great success in the end.

It could be the moon, the sun, a digital piece of modern art, or anything you want it to be. That is the beauty behind abstract, non representational art. Although this is an unmannered photograph of a human body cell under a microscope, it has a beautiful contrast of colors, detailed shapes that appear to look like gemstones or diamonds, and outer space is all my eyes can see. The beauty that each cell in our body holds is magnificent.

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Virtual Sketchbook 3

The Triumph of Divine Love 

c. 1625 

Peter Paul Rubens 

Oil on canvas 

Before beginning my journey to the Ringling Museum of Art, I had no idea what to expect. I was first fascinated by the Italian and Renaissance art. There are seriously so many talented artists that speak through their work and we get to view it all! Although I enjoyed all the work this museum had to offer, there was one painting that stood out to me the most.  

The artwork I chose to study is The Triumph of Divine Love by Peter Paul Rubens. The painting was created with oil on canvas around the year 1625. Ruben’s painting is 17 feet tall and 12.6 feet wide. This picture does not do Ruben’s work as much justice as it should and is exceedingly large. There is an obvious focal point at the center of the painting showing a woman holding a baby. She is wearing a long red dress with a black shawl and is surrounded by sixteen angels. The woman is standing upon a cart being hauled by two lions. There are 4 angels standing at the bottom left corner, 1 angel on a lion in the bottom right, and 11 others creating a circle above the mother and infant from above. The charcoal-colored columns and sinister lighting along the sides and corners create a significant contrast against the pearl-colored sky highlighting the mother, baby, and angels. Two mistrustful lions are protruding through the dark at the bottom of the painting creating an eerie tone with their narrowed eyes.  

This painting portrays the genre of religious art and heavily emphasis a maternal figure; the Virgin Mary. The artist used a proportional gradience to highlight the woman in the center; a classical vignette. The position of each angel encircling the woman and infant creates tremendous balance and unity. Although the expressions of each angel are incompatible with one another, it creates variety.  

This piece of artwork made me feel nostalgia and a sense of empowerment. The way the artist positioned the mother and child created a sentimental feeling; one I can relate to. I was enticed at the detail of the emotions on everyone's face, including the lions. As I stepped further away taking note of the foreground, those feelings of sentiment faded. I noticed an evil expression on the lion and an angel holding a red heart well-lit on fire! Soon I began to question the true meaning of the painting and my perspective shifted. 

In Spain during the early 1600s, Ruben was a talented artist who was known for his religious paintings during the Baroque era. The daughter of the governor in the Spanish Netherlands commissioned Peter Paul Rubens to develop eleven painted tapestries to create: The Triumph of Eucharist. Ruben’s work was intended to motivate a specific element of Catholicism known as Eucharist. This involves eating bread and drinking wine representing the body and blood of Christ. Ruben may have been of the Catholic faith to paint such beautiful religious work. The artist intended to represent the worship of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. Ruben did a wonderful job creating such a bright angelic focal point while also revealing the other side of the spectrum: evil and darkness on the outside.  

After further research and pondering, I began to understand the true message behind this painting. Of course, at the time, the Triumph of Divine Love was meant to play a significant role in the Counter Reformation. Throughout this assignment, I have learned how important it is to view art from a distance to truly comprehend the big picture. This painting today still highlights how we can overcome the forces of evil with unconditional or religious love. When I saw this painting, I immediately felt somehow connected to it. I grew up devoutly Christian and still practice my faith today. The first thing I noticed was the Virgin Mary holding Jesus and my heart was filled with gratitude. The style of this work is rich in detail and emotion. I wanted to further study the history and intentions behind this painting. Overall, I had a wonderful experience at the Ringling Museum and found great satisfaction discovering The Triumph of Divine Love.  

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Virtual Sketchbook 2

JOURNALING

WRITING AND LOOKING

Chapter 4, pg. 14/21, Figure 4.18

Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Shuttlecocks (1 of 4)

These artists have included a series of ingredients or principles of design into this piece of artwork. First I noticed the use of scale and proportion. The artists used 5000 pound shuttlecocks to demonstrate mocking and humorous tone. Implied lines and balance are noticeable within the columns of the gray building in the background. The focal point obviously is the extravagant shuttlecock which is another important composition of design. Again the artists uses emphasis on this huge shuttlecock to draw the viewers attention.

CONNECTING ART TO YOUR WORLD

Color has affected my life through my constant change in hair. I tend to get bored of my hair color or style quickly. My favorite colors I have done have been purple and red. When it comes to purple I like a pastel and calm appearing tone. There has been a differentiating value of purples in my hair unlike the red. The red color I had was much more saturated than purple. It is bright and consistent in value throughout. I tend to stick to warmer hues like purple and red. If i had a color scheme for my life it would be all warm tones of a beautiful Florida summer sunset.

ARTIST'S CHOICE

Although this painting may appear negative, it is a brutally honest representation of how it feels to have anxiety. I used acrylic paint and medium sized canvas.

PHOTO/DESIGN

Portrait

This portrait is of woman wearing a tightly coiled blend of flowers on her head representing the righteous pride of being an African American woman. The specific name of the woman is not mentioned. It was taken by Akilah Townsend in Chicago, Illinois. Townsend feels that African American woman with non-European features are not celebrated enough.

Landscape

This photo was taken in Iceland of Kurkjufell Mountain by Lurie Belegurschi. I love the depth that is created using a stacking technique of similar shaped objects to create dimension.

Still Life

This still life portrait was taken by Emine Basa. She is incorporating some artisan bread, a pear, fresh garlic, an onion, a wooden spoon, a crock and a homemade clay goblet. She included this material because Basa has been collecting antiques, wood objects, and dried fruits. The artist does a wonderful job dramatizing and cultivating everyday ordinary objects with extraordinary attention to detail in regards to contrast in light. I love the real life steam coming out of the crock. 

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Photography: Group 3

Portrait

This portrait is of woman wearing a tightly coiled blend of flowers on her head representing the righteous pride of being an African American woman. The specific name of the woman is not mentioned. It was taken by Akilah Townsend in Chicago, Illinois. Townsend feels that African American woman with non-European features are not celebrated enough.

Landscape

This photo was taken in Iceland of Kurkjufell Mountain by Lurie Belegurschi. I love the depth that is created using a stacking technique of similar shaped objects to create dimension.

Still Life

This still life portrait was taken by Emine Basa. She is incorporating some artisan bread, a pear, fresh garlic, an onion, a wooden spoon, a crock and a homemade clay goblet. She included this material because Basa has been collecting antiques, wood objects, and dried fruits. The artist does a wonderful job dramatizing and cultivating everyday ordinary objects with extraordinary attention to detail in regards to contrast in light. I love the real life steam coming out of the crock. 

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SELF-PORTRAIT

I have created a semi-virtual collage highlighting my love and fascination of my cats and dogs. I collected flowers in a vase from my home, photographed each one of my animals, and constructed a bouquet styled collage with each of their names. All six of these animals are unique and hold a very special place in our family tree and home.

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WRITING A SELF-PORTRAIT

Everyone carries some sort of "baggage" or feeling with them, especially when interpreting art. We all come from different environments and obtain unique characteristics that make us who we are or define our perspectives. I am 20 years old, a female, and go by the pronouns she/her. I was born in New Jersey and moved to Florida just under 4 years ago. I am part Colombian, Argentine, and Italian. During my free time I enjoy cooking homemade meals, reading psychological thrillers, doing legos, watching the sunset, going on runs, and spending time with my cats. I am not a member of an organized group but I do work at a local coffee shop/restaurant called Louie's Bistro! I believe we are all special in some way or another. What makes me unique is that I will never judge a book by its cover and I come from a multicultural background. We all have a purpose in this world and come with a story. I am always open to learning more everyday as that is the only way we can truly grow as humans.

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This painting is titled, The Biggest Love, and was created by my talented grandmother using acrylic paints and a large universal canvas. It is extremely important to my family as it represents the powerful relationship between my mother, sister, and I. This artwork is hung in our hallway reminding us of how strong and independent my mom was raising us as a single mother. All of my grandmother's artwork, including this one, is truly so beautiful because of all the love and dedication she puts into them.

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WRITING AND RESEARCH

The first thing I noticed when viewing this painting was the nude individuals spread across each panel. I began to wonder what these people are representing within the differentiating settings of each panel. Is the message being portrayed more positive or more negative? My eyes went directly to the larger middle panel as I admired the beautiful pastel colors and intricate details of the landscape. I feel like each panel is telling a story and giving the viewer a warning. The last panel on the right seems to be representing hell and the left panel representing heaven. There are several individuals portrayed in what appears to be a lustful environment painted by an artist named Hieronymus Bosch. The artist may be warning his viewers about the dangers of lust in society. When initially viewing the artwork I felt a warm and positive feeling with the detailed landscape and beautiful colors. Bosch included so many small and vulgar details in his portrayal of human lust. I began to understand his message in warning individuals about the dangers of lust and felt the impureness he was portraying. Although I did not see many differences after viewing it again, my feelings changed from a state of bliss to a repulsive understanding of lust in this world. 

Hieronymus Bosch 1500 The Garden of Earthly Delights. Oil on panel; Central Panel 220 x 195 cm, Wings 220 x 97 cm.

Here are some well known facts about Bosch:

Bosch came from a family of several painters and worked alongside of his father for quite some time.

Hieronymus Bosch was not his real name but it was Jerome.

Hieronymus Bosch was known to be a Christian man who reflected his own experiences through his artwork. 

The Garden of Earthly Delights is housed in the Museo del Prado in Madrid, Spain since 1939.

This painting is supposed to be read like a book from left to right.